Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-10

his attitude is that he is blind. His face
is shaded BY his hat, and appears to be
badly marked with powder. 1t makes no
difference how hard it rains or SHOWS. or
how cold or hot the day, this fellow
very scantily clad and with no top-coat
and often in slippers, without apparently
needing aDyone-sits for hours and hours
with pencils in his hand and second hat
on his knee. have tried him, however.
once or twice, and don't believe he is
blind.
There is no more familiar figure in New
York than blind man who fidd.es appar
emily, say apparently because, although
he moves his bow over the strings, | have
never been able to hear any music at
the corner OF Fulton and Water streets.
And there is another blind man, who
stands at the corner of Park Place and
New Church street, who always has his
hat off and holds in his hands bunch of
pencils. took in his situation the other
day and | did not see that he got any
money: but OF course he must or he would
not continue business in the same stand
| for as many years as he has.
! Both men when off duty are as jolly as
grigs.
The blind dodge is very easily counter
/ feited
The police never interfere with these
beggars, and do not know that there is
any reason why they should, for they are
inotfensive in their bearing and rarely ac-
cost any one. But ladies on Fifth avenue
and all the great shopping thoroughfares
are seriously annoyed by four or five per-
sistent old hays, who accost them rudelv
and Extensively, thrustng with their foul
hands bunch of those long black pins
which women use to hasten their hats on
into their faces and whining out the price.
| If lady to whom these wares are offered
pays no attention to the vender she is fol-
lowed and jostled and urged to purchase.
If she declines she is made the object of
further annoyance, and oftentimes in order
to avoid these creatures, women 60 into
stores or across The street that they may
be rid OF the importantly.
Another form of beggary here is carried
on by children, who with one or two
oranges or box or 80 of matches, or a
few apples. 90 into offices and tell piteOus
tales of suffering at home and ask the
people in the store or office, as the case
may be, to purchase their goods. In many
cases. rather than be bothered, a man will
throw them ten cents or a quarter and tell
them to get out. But it is bad invest
ment, for the word soon spreads from
child to child, and good nature is certain
to be victlmized in the end. They take 1t
for granted that the money will be given
and the oranges will not be taken. At the
Park Place station, of which have written
above, every night stands young man
with his boot backing utensils, and as
passengers come hurrylng 10 catch train
he draws out his willingness to black
their boots tor cent, accompanied by the
assertion that he has had nothing to eat
| for twenty-four hours and that his mother
is sick or his father is dead. or some
equally narrowing assertion.
l never saw him black boots.
OF course no man would permit him to
black his boots for penny. and equally.
of course, il man is rushing to catch an
uptown main late at night he is not going
to stop 10 have his boots BACKED at any
price. The consequence is that one is
apt to say, Never mind the backing :;
here is a nickel for you,' or a dime. or
! whatever it is. The ingenuity of these
| fellows is notable. and if it was devoted 10
some good end would very likely bring
about as rich Il return as they now get in
this fast growing nuisance.